365.55
Me entusiasma el trabajo…the best work is the kind you have enthusiasm for (or entusiasmo), and it often leads to the best results. And if at times you feel far from fired up, at least find something to be enthusiastic about. Every job has aspects you might not choose, but as the FISH! philosophy advises, you can always choose your attitude.
365.54
Sometimes you just need a good cardio workout for a mental detox from the day. Music helps me power through, and I tried a new mix on my run tonight. Not my favorite playlist, but I’m quite certain it’s unique!
What’s your favorite workout music?
Tonight’s playlist:
1. Run-Around by Blues Traveler
2. Turn Up the Music by Chris Brown
3. Allouette by Delta Rhythm Boys
4. We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris) by Rihanna
5. Different by Ximena Sariñana
6. Miss Little Havana by Gloria Estefan
7. Any Way You Want It by Journey
8. Hero by Pat McGee
365.53
Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.
365.51
Already, I grow anxious for days with longer daylight. It’s so much easier and better to take photos with natural light. I promptly left the office at closing time in search of my next subject, and I stumbled upon the building next to mine with two lights burning bright.
365.43
There’s a peace I’ve come to know,
Though my heart and flesh may fail,
There’s an anchor for my soul,
I can say, “It is well.”
My first year in Chicago involved an exhaustive, yearlong 50+ church search before finding my parish home. I was a member at Ascension in Oak Park for three years, where I joined as a cantor to make beautiful music with talented musicians, many of whom were connected to two local Catholic music publishers. I climbed a staircase to the pulpit to lead the psalms in a century-old church. I learned how to sing Gelineau, Taizé and other songs with rich tradition. And while that music is moving, it’s not always the music that moves me.
Last August, I was elated to return to Holy Name’s LifeTeen band I left in 2005 when I moved, and as luck would have it, they needed a piano player. From keys to drums, electric guitar & bass, and four vocals, my friends and I sing contemporary Catholic and Christian music. We groove with tight harmonies and glow with energy that gives me goosebumps and connects with the congregation in sung prayer. And the homilies are both meaningful and memorable.
And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
“Worthy is the Lamb.”
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
“Worthy is the Lamb.”
There’s an anchor for my soul,
I can say, “It is well.”
Because I am home.
365.41
In the vampire hours on Friday night, I was dropping digital bird seed, hoping that other tweeters on Twitter would take to our sweet tweets on Twilight. A better question is why would I own bird seed, when I have neither a backyard nor a bird feeder. The answer: an I Spy bottle.
365.40
I was visiting with someone in our Manhattan office today. She acknowledged my noticeably absent New York accent, but proceeded by asking if I was a native New Yorker. [I cued a dumbfounded face.] “Ohh, yah?” I answered in Minnesotan. “You’re quick witted,” the sweet lady continued. “I like that…it’s like you’re one of us.”
I hope that’s a good thing. But since I mostly make fun of myself, we’re okay. I’m not offended.
365.39
Every time I visit New York City, I may as well be visiting another country. It’s so far removed from the farm town I call home. It’s hard to imagine what childhood might be like here, navigating crowds and a concrete jungle. Though neither would a New Yorker youth imagine what it’s like to live a simpler life. Like packing peanut butter sandwiches in your saddle bag, grabbing the reins and mounting your horse, and riding with your siblings through wide open plains in a cornfield jungle.
Manhattan has an energy and frenzy that many love and others thrive in. For me, it’s something to savor in small doses. You see, my hometown county has 72 people per square mile. Manhattan? 69,464 people per square mile. As you can imagine, stepping off the plane at La Guardia is like taking a polar bear plunge in sensory overload.
I can manage on my own in Manhattan surprisingly well with a different kind of horsepower, delivered by yellow cabs, subways, and trains leaving from Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station. But among the plethora of people, cultural discoveries, new perspectives and soaring skyscrapers, there are still simple things. You just have to slow down to notice them. For example, at the Trump Hotel Soho, I wonder how many people have really noticed the glass and fiber optics fig tree.
If you slow down and savor, you realize even the most complex (and chaotic) cities are made from the same, simple things. But luckily, I have the horse sense to realize the pulse and pace of life in Manhattan is not for me.
365.38
00:49
Lately, I’ve squeezed my 1,440 minutes a day to the eXtreme. As much as I wish for it, time won’t pause nor stretch or offer surplus. It’s here, it passes, and the next moment comes. It can be traded or borrowed from one activity to another, but in the end, it’s all consumed.
My time consumption needs to go on a diet, or least a reallocation. The routine I’d hoped to establish in 2012 has routinely gotten sidelined. I’m evaluating my discretionary time and parceling out blocks of time for the ebb and flow of my creative projects, fitness goals, and social pursuits. To get more done, I’ll spend time on the things that matter most and fill in the rest. But first, I’m giving back to sleeping hours. It’s about time.
01:25
365.37
I stopped at Rosedale Center (mall) tonight, and the chandeliers reminded me of the “scales of justice” icons you often see in the legal profession. I’ve worked with a lot of lawyers in my job over the past three years of online storytelling, and I have reached one conclusion. I am thankful that I am not a lawyer.
Back to the mall: I didn’t spend a dime, but it’s only a matter of time. I was window shopping for a new camera lens, and I’ve got a feeling this project may cost some coin. I also realized I’ve actually committed to a 366 blog this year, so bonus photo for you! 329 days left!
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